The People Here First
by BenryPale
Summary: A collection of short chapters based on The Others. Each chapter deals with a single Other, and an aspect of their life in a beginning flashback before revealing their ultimate fate on the show, such as Tom, Bea, Danny, Ethan, Goodwin and more.
1. Tom

**Chapter One**

**Tom**

Tom Reid exhaled deeply, blowing white cigar smoke that drifted out the truck window into the dark, night sky. His eyes followed the smoke upwards, until he was looking at the stars. No sound but the crickets.

Tom's truck wasn't much special. Just a shabby old rust bucket, and he could tell the man sitting next to him in his prada suit was not comfortable. He clutched his briefcase impatiently. "Mr Reid, it would not be forever. And you can return at any time you want. You're still a young man. This will be an experience to-"

"Doc, you don't have to give me the bullet points. I ain't some dumb redneck," said Tom distantly, still looking up at the blanket of stars stretching overhead. "Mary-Ann is pregnant. I ain't gonna leave her now."

"Mary-Ann is not your wife, Mr Reid, you have no obligation to her child-"

"She's my sister. Some yahoo knocks her up, and I gotta stay to help her through it. That's how it works, Dr Leary-"

"You look out for family, I understand. Better than you think I do, even."

Tom turned his head to look at Dr Tim Leary, a pretty boy with perfectly groomed hair. He'd turned up on Tom's doorstep with a job offer and the vaguest of details. Some job in Portland, apparently. Working as a 'foreman', as a 'supervisor', apparently.

"You've told me nuthin', Doc. You and I…we have no business. You can leave my truck now-" began Tom, leaning forward and taking hold of the keys.

"How long have you been out of high school, Mr Reid?" asked Leary, cocking his head to the side, not blinking or averting his gaze. "Five years, isn't it? And your football career didn't exactly take off like it should've."

Tom stared at him, and raised his voice considerably. "How the hell did you know that? I didn't tell you that!"

"And then before you know it, you're alone. Mother's gone, father's dead of alcohol abuse, sister's pregnant and you don't know what you're going to do. You just need something to make sense-"

"Shut it!"

"-but the harder you look, the foggier things become in this harsh world."

This was definitely getting weird. Creepy. This guy had cracked his head wide open and stared deep inside. This just brought more anger. "I said shut up!"

Leary closed his mouth, recoiling and looking at Tom.

Slowly, Tom began to speak again. "Why me? This offer came outta the blue-"

"There's a very specific list, from our location, that requires you…I won't lie, it's a remote location."

"Yeah, you said that already. And quit cutting me off. It's impolite, you oughta know that. From the big city and all…" Tom turned to look out the window again, clenching his cigar between his teeth.

"I'm not from the city," replied Leary. "I'm from somewhere else. Now, I'm going to make a call to my associate Dr Alpert shortly. I'd like to give him some good news. May I?"

Tom was silent again. The offer Leary had previously set out…it seemed almost too good to be true. A new location, working with exciting new experiments, changing the world, a position of authority…but Mary-Ann was pregnant. His only sister, and Ma had jumped ship after Pop died. But…he couldn't betray her. He couldn't leave her all alone. "I don't…I don't…"

"Mr Reid…Thomas…" stated Leary deeply and firmly. "You're meant to do this."

Tom looked over at him. Leary seemed to believe what he was saying. And on some level, Tom believed it to. He'd never believed in destiny, or anything like that. None of that crap. But this seemed…so different. So…meant to be.

"I might. I need to think on it."

Leary nodded, and then smiled. "No, you don't."

Tom looked at him, and then sighed deeply before stubbing out his cigar.

Twenty-four Years Later…

Tom disliked the sight of blood. But there was something different about the sight of his own slowly saturating his ragged vest. It was almost calming.

This was how he would die. He wouldn't die on his feet, fighting to the last breath. He wouldn't die as he wanted, at home with his family and friends surrounding him. He wouldn't die as he'd expected, his life disappearing in his sleep. He'd die here. Shot out of vengeance and bitterness by a man he'd wronged because it was necessary.

The pain was dulling now, soothing him away. His eyes slowly moved to face the man who'd killed him, and he couldn't summon the straight thoughts or ability to speak. He fell backwards onto the dry sand beneath him.

_Well I've got God on my side  
And I'm just trying to survive  
What if what you do to survive  
Kills the things you love  
Fear's a dangerous thing  
It can turn your heart black you can trust  
It'll take your God filled soul  
Fill it with devils and dust  
Yeah it'll take your God filled soul  
Fill it with devils and dust_


	2. Pickett

**Chapter Two  
**

**Pickett**

Daniel Pickett felt warmth against his chest. Dripping, wet, red warmth that moved down him like it had a purpose. His knuckles had similar red stains, drying rapidly as his opponent collapsed to the floor like a dead weight. He brushed his mouth, breathing heavily as he looked around at the rest of the bar, cigarette smoke hanging above his head as the rest of the bar tenants stared at the sight before them.

"You're not that bad," he grunted to his opponent. "You get up, you're not some…pussy, are ya?"

A few moments ago, when his opponent had been loudly decrying the United States Army for whatever reasons he felt valid enough, Pickett had wanted nothing more than to pummel the man's face in until he spat up blood. And now that he'd done that, he suddenly wanted him to stand, to be all right, and to not be dead.

He simply couldn't control himself. That would be the best excuse he could give to the police. Military family, sir, couldn't stand to hear the insults. No, never in the military myself, sir, didn't qualify right for it. Yes, sir, I still plan on joining. Yes sir, these cuffs fit right.

His opponent spat up more blood, slowly stirring. Danny breathed a sigh of relief, gave a swift glance around, and then strode quickly out of the bar. He needed to get cleaned up.

This was just one more close call. One too many close calls. He'd been unemployed too long, too bitter about failing to join. What the hell was a psychological evaluation anyway? Anger problems? What the hell did some pencil neck doctor know?

The thoughts built in his mind until he reached his car, jumping in and viciously slamming the door so hard the handle ripped free. So maybe the pencil neck doctor had a point.

He sighed deeply, and reached into his wallet for his keys. Pulling them out, they slipped from his bloody grasp and he found himself planting his hand underneath his chair. He didn't retrieve the keys, instead pulling out a bone white card with a name and number printed.

Mittlelos Bioscience. He chuckled disdainfully. What would a science company want with him? He remembered the sales pitch well enough. Some suit with a white smile offering him a position. And how quickly things had turned nasty. When Danny made it clear that he was headed for the army, the rep…Alpert, wasn't it? The rep had implied that Danny would never make it. No, forget implied, he outright _told_ Danny that the military would _never_ accept him.

The letter of rejection had come the next day.

Moments later, Pickett was inside a phone booth, punching in a number.

"Mittlelos Bioscience, my name is Colleen, how can I help?" answered a voice whose tone implied that she would rather not be there.

"Colleen? Well, Colleen, I'm Danny. Mind if I call ya Col?"

"I mind on many levels and with great intensity. Now can I help you with something?"

Danny chuckled. He liked this one. "Well, your Dr Albert-"

"Alpert."

"Your Dr Alberto contacted me a short while ago about a job offer. I need to know if the offer is still standing," he said stubbornly.

The woman on the other end laughed. "I severely doubt it."

"Yeah? Well, he said I was on a list. So I'd like to speak to someone with authority, huh?"

Colleen was silent. "Let me get you someone."

"Good girl."

Pickett waited, staring through the stained, cracked glass to the street outside. What else had Alpert said? That what he was offering was a job to be part of an army. Not a US army. Just…an army. Danny had dismissed it as marketing mumbo-jumbo.

But now…it might be more. It could be different.

It could be better.

His lungs were on fire. He wasn't a young man anymore, and he could barely stay standing. His legs remained limp as he stumbled down the beach, aiming the gun unsteadily. All he could think about was Colleen. His Col. Her brilliant, bright eyes.

And here he was. Gun aimed, Ford advancing before him. Stinking of arrogance, of bravado. One of them, one of the killers. The savages.

_"Danny!"_

He had no time for this. He turned to face the familiar blonde face, and two shots echoed.

Daniel Pickett felt warmth on his chest.

Warmth and a dull pain that ended too quickly for any last thoughts, for any regrets, for any flashes of his life before he crumpled to the hot sand.

_I woke up this morning  
I could barely breathe  
Just an empty impression  
In the bed where you used to be  
I want a kiss from your lips  
I want an eye for an eye  
I woke up this morning to the empty sky_


End file.
